Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  Impala LS - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By David Renfroe - April 19 - 11:06 pm

  After driving BMWs for years (11 cars), I was pleasantly surprised at the drivability of this car. While not quite up to the BMW, it is very close. The two big differences are the build quality and the price. Dollar for dollar the Impala is a much better value as the comparable BMW costs 2&1/2 times as much.

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  GOT BLAZER? - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Artemus - April 19 - 1:28 pm

  I love it. Great in snow, like how it looks, rides well. Acceleration is lacking, heavy vehicle, needs chip, and exhaust, [aftermarket], for 40+ horsepower gain. Mines red, waxed, and ready.

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  Thought GM is always bad - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By YM - April 19 - 12:43 pm

  Im a student a got this Lumina for $1500. It has high mileage 180000+ but runs great. A lot of power, very reliable, with reasonable gas mileage. I bought it Sep 2008 used for more than 10 years. Bought for winter and thought that Ill have to leave for parts after that. It still runs great and I decided to keep it, nothing changes except battery.

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  chevy, like a rock - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By tlw0131 - April 17 - 7:19 pm

  Bought my Blazer 2 years ago used. Buying it used, from an elderly woman I expected problems. Had to replace brakes and 2 rotors and water pump. From age, and not being maintained. Since then just the brake switch, heating core and a new distributor cap. Has 156,000 miles. Drive it to school and home all the time (130 miles) been off roading plenty. Great 4x4 for its size. With the right maintenance I feel anyone can keep any car running good. Its still as red as any 09 red car. No fading. Oh. The ac compressor doesnt work, but I prefer the Windows down anyways.

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  watch tune ups & timing belt - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By little red - April 17 - 3:42 pm

  My wife & I love the car even after downsizing from a mid-size auto. I was shocked when I was told about the car requires a 400.00 tune-up, coolant change every 36000 miles and a new timing belt after 60000. Dealer never mention that at the time of sale!!! Other than those items the auto is nice for the $$$$$$

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  07 Aveo LS sedan - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By corvette owner - April 17 - 9:49 am

  I purchased this car this month in order to get too and from school. What a great investment. this is my first manual transmission car and "BOY" is this little thing fun.It looks good going down the road and is an overall great car. Not to mention this thing will take you 400 miles on a single tank of gas.

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  I like this SUV - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Chris Richgels - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Super good highway cruiser.

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  Chevrolet Suburban - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By joseph1234 - April 17 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is safe, reliable, and very fun to drive

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  Catherine Reese - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Catherine Reese - April 17 - 2:00 am

  I like how high up my vehicle is off the ground. When driving at night I hate the other headlights in my rear view mirror blinding me. I also like how sturdy the truck looks. I usually would have picked a white vehicle but this time I picked the color red (red fire. I just love the color.

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  Poor quality car... - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By jeremy - April 16 - 8:04 pm

  My mom bought this car new in 2004 for a really good price. Its a sturdy, good running, reliable car. However, the quality over the years has been terrible. The gas gauge went, the speedometer went, and the temperature gauge went. These I never got fixed because it would cost 450 dollars each to fix. Also, a security sensor went bad, and the car wouldnt start. That I had to pay for. It cost 450 dollars to fix. Also the dim switch went bad on the headlights. Had to get that fixed. Another 450 dollars!! This all happened by 80,000 miles. The gauges went bad at about 40,000 miles. This car was the worst in quality I have ever owned! Other than those things, the car is fine. It runs good.